RT3 running on Windows 7

[NSman117]

i finally got it working after useing the no CD crack .exe

[thietavu]

i finally got it working after useing the no CD crack .exe

Sadly, the copy protection technologies seem to cause a lot of trouble to us legal users of programs. Even if the program/game is compatible with a new operating system, for example, chances are that the copy protection used in it isn't compatible at all. In those cases these "noCD" solutions may be the only way to get things working. RRT2 (if I recall correctly) was absolutely horrible in this sense; it refused to run even after you installed certain commercial, legal CD-burning software, thinking you were a criminal pirate or something... The protection used in RRT 3 is notoriously nasty, too. But glad you found a solution!

[Steamtrainz]

I just want to tell all you guys that I finally fixed my blurry textures problem and I can play at the highest quality again! For all of you out there with the same problem this is how I fixed it: start -> run -> msconfig -> boot tab -> advanced -> maximum allowed memory: 2048 or less. For me it's at 2000 and I have no blurry textures at all.

[Hawk]

Does that have any affect on other programs you run, or with Windows itself?

[Steamtrainz]

Does that have any affect on other programs you run, or with Windows itself?

You're basically telling windows that you don't have more than 2GB of memory and so it won't use more. It does not affect windows at all unless you usually run tons of programs at the same time, for which of course you need more memory. But when I play I usually just play RT3 by itself and no other programs.

[thietavu]

This is still very, very strange... RRT3 itself doesn't use that much memory. I'm testing it all the time with very likely the largest and most detailed RRT3 map ever to be designed, the "Great China 4" (final test run about to be finished this week).

Some statistics:
- Total Land Cells: 700.273
- Total Cities: 226
- Total Trees: 1.005.501

...and so on. When running that scenario with close to 700 (!) trains I have found the game completely stable, although already somewhat sluggish at moments. RRT3 doesn't use very much memory even in these kinds of monster scenarios where even a 4 GHz CPU runs at 100% load most of the time.

What puzzles me the most is this: I have made absolutely NO RRT3 -specific tweaks to my 64-bit Windows 7 system. It doesn't even run in a "compatibility mode". Even stranger: I tried the Windows 8 beta for a moment - and RRT3 (TrainMaster Edition) worked flawlessly even there, out of the box! As you can all see, I have 8 GB of RAM and 1 GB VRAM. So have many others here, I believe. Some with RRT3 success, some without it.

I still (!) suspect that Microsoft's optional compatibility updates (not automatically installed!) for Windows 7 may be the key to this mystery. Those updates are probably built-in to Windows 8. After all, RRT3 is an old game - and Microsoft has done several optional updates for W7 to allow some older programs to run correctly. Those updates may just slightly change, for example, the way the computer reports its available capabilities to the game. You know, alone the DirectX interface in Windows has changed dozens of times during the years, and some of the oldest commands in it may no longer be supported by the current Windows 7 and 8! These are exactly the kinds of compatibility patches Microsoft has prepared.

For a long time, RRT3 reported to me that my video card had no video memory at all! In fact: negative amount of memory... The result: RRT3 didn't work correctly at all. Low-resolution graphics and all the other nuisance. Then, suddenly, everything worked again - about perfectly. RRT3 reported that I have just the right amount of video memory again! What had happened? My best guess: some minor "fix" in either Windows 7 or in AMD's drivers had replaced a non-functional, old query of type "how much memory can I use?" with a newer, working version. And then everything was rock'n roll again...

So, I'd suggest installing all the W7 optional software compatibility updates. May help or may not help - but trying this shouldn't hurt.

[nedfumpkin]

I just want to tell all you guys that I finally fixed my blurry textures problem and I can play at the highest quality again! For all of you out there with the same problem this is how I fixed it: start -> run -> msconfig -> boot tab -> advanced -> maximum allowed memory: 2048 or less. For me it's at 2000 and I have no blurry textures at all.

I tried this on Vista...I have 4gb of RAM and it had no effect. My guess is that there is probably a compand line parameter when running RT3 that would fix the problem.

[Gumboots]

Ok, got the game today. Installed it, but she no go. Version is 1.0.

I'm getting the dreaded "Wrong disc inserted" error. Of course I do actually have the play disc inserted, not the installation disc.

Have installed CTC and the 1.0.5 patch and the Vista fix already. Have set compatibility mode to Vista (but also tried XP). Still no go.

Running W7 Home Premium 64 bit/Intel i5-2500/Gigabyte GT630 2GB if that makes any difference.

Also, the game wasn't installed to the default folder. I used a custom RRT3 folder for it.

Ideas?

ETA: Just tried uninstalling it and reinstalling in the default folder. Makes no difference.

[Hawk]

You have a PM.

[Gumboots]

Bonzer. Things are looking up.

Just played the first campaign game as a trial run and it seems to work perfectly. I did it like this:

Cleaned out all the previous installation stuff > Installed game from disc > Upgraded to CTC/1.04 > Patched to 1.05 > Get a PM from Hawk > Installed the Vista fix on top of everything else > Party time.

[geoguy]

Hey

new here. I found this website today and immediately felt the need to play some RT3 again. So I grabbed the old CDs, installed the game and all the patches in the correct order... and ran into the same error as Gumboots... "Wrong disc inserted". Any help would be highly appreciated.

cheers!

[jglosenger]

I'm trying to install rt3 from original cd on win 7. when the install gets to this file,
C:\program Files (x86)\Railroad Tycoon 3\data\Tutorial\Tutorial_1.gmp
the install freezes up. anyway to get his to install on win 7 from original cd?

[Hawk]

To start with, I would strongly recommend NOT installing RT3 in the Program Files(86) directory. You will have a lot of problems patching it if it's installed in that directory.
Microsoft decided to make any files and/or folders in that directory not writable, 'for your protection'.
I would install in in a directory outside of the Program Files (86), or the Program Files directories.

That may help with your issue, but most likely not. It really sounds like you have a dirty or scratched cd. Try cleaning it, using tips found at this link.

http://labnol.blogspot.com/2006/07/how- ... -disc.html

Also, once you get a complete install, see this topic about multiple installs before you start patching.

viewtopic.php?f=5&t=2363

[arop]

I have 2 computers. One born as as 2 Gigabyte Xp, with no problems, and another born as a 4 Gb Vista. To ease my work with mapmaking, using 2 computers, I asked one of my friends, who knows something more about computers than I, (being a user only) to try to delete the whole dammed vista thing and change it into an XP. We have had a somehow success killing the Vista, but it would not easyly die. Yet my (new, 19 mont old) 4 gigabyte computer now works as a XP, but I cannot install RRT3, while we ca'nt find no driver for this model of this HP computer born with Vista. I can't make that machine work with several things as the Internet, graphics and sound. (Allow me to swear about Bill Gates on your site, Hawk: #¤%&/Ø?######, sorry!)

[Gumboots]

Trying to go back to XP on new computers is a recipe for disaster. XP wont support a lot of the stuff they need to run properly. If you don't like Vista, it would make more sense to upgrade to W7.

[arop]

Vista is a disaster itself

[arop]

It was painful, but at last, me and my friend succeded to rebuild a Vista into an XP. Building maps I need two computers working as XP's. But I cannot recommend others to try doing the same thing!!!

[Sugus]

Another way to stay fro some more years with XP is by using virtual machines, e.g. you can build an image - i.e. create a virtual copy - of your good old XP computer and run this one virtually on any Vista or W7 machine. I did this two or three years ago by using VMware Converter and Player.

[Kapten]

How do i get this to work on Win7 64bit now when the Vista fix link is dead? I bought the game on Steam. Help would be much apprecieated!

[Hawk]

How do i get this to work on Win7 64bit now when the Vista fix link is dead? I bought the game on Steam. Help would be much apprecieated!

It's a small enough zip I can attach it to this post, along with the read me.